Public architecture in the late Republican period changed dramatically as Roman politics placed increased emphasis on conquest through expansion. Victorious generals often employed their own architects to build public monuments ex manubiis (Ward-Perkins 20). Julius Caesar constructed his Forum Iulium near the Forum Romanum while Pompey the Great constructed his Theatrum Pompei in the Campus Martius, and the complexes greatly impacted the status of the generals in Rome. Pompey and Caesar were in fact builder-generals, and they utilized the public nature of the complexes for their own ends. In merging religious cult with personal glory in the context of a public complex, they present such high-powered propaganda to the public that only increases their power as generals and Roman leaders. Pompey’s complex was so grand and monumental that it set the stage for those to come, like that of the Forum Iulium. Caesar’s complex, however, was even grander than that of Pompey as he affirmed his divine lineage throughout the entire space, making it extremely powerful. The Theatrum Pompei and Forum Iulium are examples of a larger theme in the late Republican period, where dictators like Caesar and Pompey demonstrate the use of a tool for orchestrating domination and separation from the lower class to maintain their position of power. Builder-generals like Caesar and Pompey set the true foundations of the political propaganda that would arrive in the Augustan period. Pompey the Great was awarded a triumph in 61 BC for his successful campaigns in the eastern Mediterranean, and following this he began work on a magnificent complex in the Campus Martius outside the city walls of Rome on the east bank of the Tiber River (Kleiner 56). The complex wa... ... middle of paper ... ...trix, the complex’s plan, and foreign works of art. While Pompey imbued his own personal accomplishments within his theatre complex, Caesar included that and more. By asserting his divine lineage through his temple to Venus Genetrix, statuary and orientation of the complex he raised himself so far above the general Roman public that he may have been despised by some, but revered by many. Caesar expanded upon the political propaganda methods of Pompey to extreme heights to help solidify his position as dictator perpetuo, and increased agency in political propaganda for future rulers, such as his son Augustus. Caesar and Pompey before him marked a transition in Roman public architecture where generals and leaders of Rome began to utilize building plans to communicate their greatness, and effectively go against Roman propriety to shape the architectural taste of Rome.
During the Republic, the people of Rome had a major disinclination towards any sort of Royalty, which is why when Caesar attempted to lead undemocratically indefinitely, he disrupted one of the core stances that romans shared communally. Caesar over indulged in power when he retitled himself as ‘dictator in perpetuo’. “And as Caesar was coming down from Alba into the city they ventured to hail him as king. But at this the people were confounded, and Caesar, disturbed in mind, said that his name was not King, but Caesar, and seeing that his words produced an universal silence, he passed on with no very cheerful or contented looks…..But the most open and deadly hatred towards him was produced by his passion for the royal power.” Caesars egotism and self-importance made him uncherished by members of the senate. “Everybody knew that Caesar's ego would never allow him to play second fiddle to another senator, and it was equally well-known that another famous military leader, Pompey the Great, had similar ambitions. In January 49, more or less at...
There are several prominent geographical features that played a major role in the daily life of Pompeii. The geographical location of Pompeii, its economic and industrial activity, entertainment and the Roman influence in the city’s architecture all convey different geographical features. These features contributed in shaping the way the city’s inhabitants went about their daily lives, and all had a profound impact on Pompeii
...ion this all showed that style of governing and ruling an empire started a century long pattern of events that eventually lead to the fall and destruction of the old oligarchy led by the Senate. The combination of desire for personal gain and glory of a politician or general was what weakened the Roman customs and the Senate. This was a cycle among the Senate, to find themselves stuck in a problem and to find others to fix with of course military means but in turn make everything more corrupt with their disruptive practices such as Pompey and Julius Caesar. But they were not the only ones there were others who were to blame for causing such decay and corruption such as Marius, Sulla, Gaius and Tiberius Gracchus. They were the ones who kept this corruption cycle going and it was Augustus Caesar who finally broke the cycle and brought stability and order back to Rome.
Narration- Julius Caesar was a victorious military leader who defeated Pompey, another militaristic general of the Roman Republic. In the course of his victory he rose to greater notoriety, and as he entered Rome he felt the support of an admiring public. He was offered royal status with a crown displaying his importance to the Roman people. Caesar refused the royal status thrice by not accepting the crown and each time the crowd roared. But was the roar of the crowd the sign of
Gaius Julius Caesar, born 100 B.C.E. in Rome to the impoverished patrician Julian Clan, knew controversy at an early age. Nephew to Populare Gaius Marius, he was earmarked by the Optimate dictator Sulla for prosciption after his refusal to divorce his Populare wife, Cinna. Fleeing Rome, and not returning until after Sulla’s resignation in 78 B.C.E, upon his return he gained a position as a pontificate, an important Roman priesthood. Slowly but surely throughout his lifetime he worked his way up the political ladder, eventually becoming Consul, and finally Dictator Perpeteus – Dictator for life. One of the most influential political and military leaders of all time, Caesar was also a highly intelligent man and an exceptional orator. However, acquiring this absolute power was no mean feat, and Caesar had well equipped himself through previous expeditions with all the resources necessary to gain power in Ancient Rome.
As Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon and took the Roman Republic, many came to love and praise him. Being a man of great prestige from his war campaign in Gaul, he was easily excepted by the Roman citizens. Cicero, a public enemy of Caesar's power, wrote, “They fear the man they once trusted [Pompey] and adore the man they once dreaded
When discussing the historical and cultural aspects it is important to take into consideration the culture, religion, political, social, economic and artistic aspects of the time period.The construction of the Colosseum occurred during the Flavian Dynasty, between 69 CE to 96 CE. The construction of this massive amphitheater began in 70 CE under the reign of emperor Vespasian and ended sometime around 80 CE under the reign of his son Titus (Vespasian, 2013). During this time period Vespasian was greatly known for his reorganization of the army and the expansion of the membership of the senate, which ultimately dealt with the political, economic and military aspect of the Roman history and culture.
Nearly two millenniums ago a massive eruption rocked the Roman city of Pompeii, destroying buildings and coating the town in deep layers of volcanic ash. Fortunately, this same ash served as a tool for preservation and has allowed archaeologists to discover the remains of various types of Pompeii’s art. The values, beliefs, and daily workings of Roman culture have been brought to new light through the paintings, mosaics, statues and other forms of art found in the lost city of Pompeii.
Within the Ancient world, political leaders manipulated the balance between religion and politics to further their own power. In particular, Gaius Octavius (63 BC – 14 AD) later known as Imperator Caesar Divi Filius Augustus, exploited the ‘imperial cult’ as a political tool within the Roman Empire. Termed by modern historians, the imperial cult was a combination of local religious cults where people worshipped the emperor as a deity who received divine honours exceeding all other living entities. By directly allowing the imperial cult in the Roman provinces, this achieved much required unity and stability throughout the Empire. Consequently, this enabled Augustus to indirectly incorporate the cult into Rome’s ritualistic polytheism practices.
Marcel Le Glay, Jean-Louis Voisin, Yann Le Bohec. A History of Rome. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.
Modern representations of Roman culture tend to ignore its centuries-long history, assuming consistency throughout ancient Rome. Although there was continuity, Roman architecture and spatial planning witnessed changes over centuries. Changes in politics, religion or knowledge of technology can often be perceived from buildings of different periods, as public constructions remained a major part of imperial propaganda. Topographic changes in the city of Rome during the reign of two important Roman emperors, Trajan (r. 97-117 AD) and Constantine (r. 306-337 AD), unveiled progression in engineering techniques, specific aspects of the emperors’ political propaganda, as well as changes in beliefs held by the people of Rome. Trajan reigned 97-117
Throughout the history of Rome, from the monarchy to the late empire, religion had played a great role in it's society and was involved in almost every aspect of the life of the Roman citizen. It was common for each house to have it's own patron god/gods and ,on special occasions, the head of the house would make a sacrifice to the personal gods of the family. Also, great festivals were usually held in honor of certain gods and would include spectacles like chariot races and Gladiatorial fights.
Here, we will be looking at a rendition of the high marble statue of Augustus Caesar known as “Augustus of Prima Porta.” Originating from 1st Century A.D., it is said that there is a possibility that the original sculpture could have been of greek descent. Upon a general overview of the sculpture, one can see that Augustus fulfils a millitarial role of some kind. From his very stance to the garments portrayed on him, Augustus is draped in a decorative cuirass and a tunic, accompanied by a figure of Cupid clutching on to his right calf. After taking the general themes of the work into account, one can then began to start unraveling the many symbolic elements embedded into the sculpture that allude to godly themes. Starting from the crown of his head, the very chiselment and structure of his face gives the work a youthful element to it, even though some say that Augustus was around 40 years old. A recurring theme within Greek and Roman culture is the matter of godliness and immortality amongst idolized figures themselves. This idea is usually depicted by displaying powerful human being in a younger light. This
Pompeii is possibly the best-documented catastrophe in Antiquity. Because of it, we know now how the Pompeians lived because they left behind an extensive legacy of art, including monuments, sculptures and paintings. Pompeii lay on a plateau of ancient lava near the Bay of Naples in western Italy in a region called Campania, less than 1.6 kilometers from the foot of Mount Vesuvius. With the coast to the west and the Apennine Mountains to the East, Campania is a fertile plain, traversed by two major rivers and rich soil. However, in the early days, it was not a remarkable city. Scholars have not been able to identify Pompeii’s original inhabitants. The first people to settle in this region were probably prehistoric hunters and fishers. By at least the eight century B.C., a group of Italic people known as the Oscans occupied the region; they most likely established Pompeii, although the exact date of its origin is unknown. “The root of the word Pompeii would appear to be the Oscan word for the number five, pompe, which suggests that either the community consisted of five hamlets or, perhaps, was settled by a family group (gens Pompeia)”(Kraus 7). In the course of the eight century B.C., Greek and Etruscan colonization stimulated the development of Pompeii as a city around the area of the Forum. A point for important trade routes, it became a place for trading towards the inland. Up until the middle of the 5th century B.C., the city was dominated politically by the Etruscans.
Cartwright , Mark. "Roman Architecture ." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 5 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. .